HLSC640 - Interpreting Health Research

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Teaching organisation

Unit rationale, description and aim

An understanding of evidence-based practice and different research approaches is fundamental to research inquiry in any scientific discipline. Thus, this unit is essential in providing an opportunity for students who are health practitioners, to ask, acquire, interpret, analyse, synthesise, and integrate evidence to facilitate ongoing improvement in healthcare practice. Additionally, an understanding of the principles and philosophical positions underpinning different research approaches in health care is essential for postgraduate students to critically evaluate research literature, and to undertake health inquiry, workplace projects or health research.

This unit addresses issues of evidence-based knowledge development and the methods and processes that health disciplines apply to health inquiry, project and research processes within a person-centred care environment. Ways to evaluate solutions to complex clinical issues/problems in the health care environment and formulate a relevant question/topic are addressed. In addition, students will develop skills to search for, read and interpret relevant literature, along with approaches to analysis and synthesis of literature as a preparatory step in writing a literature review for a proposed health inquiry, workplace project or health research.

This unit aims to develop confidence and competence in the application of evidence-based practice and interpretation of health literature.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

LO1 - Appraise the theoretical and philosophical positions that underpin different health inquiry approaches for practice improvement (GA2, GA4, GA5, GA6)

LO2 - Evaluate the significance of ethical processes in health inquiry within the health environment (GA1, GA2, GA3)

LO3 - Identify and analyse a clinical problem/issue related to quality and safety of care and formulate a related health inquiry or research question (GA4, GA5, GA6)

LO4 - Use information and communication technology effectively to conduct literature searches (GA8, GA10)

LO5 - Demonstrate critical reading, analysis and synthesis of relevant literature (GA4, GA8, GA9)

Graduate attributes

GA1 - demonstrate respect for the dignity of each individual and for human diversity 

GA2 - recognise their responsibility to the common good, the environment and society 

GA3 - apply ethical perspectives in informed decision making

GA4 - think critically and reflectively 

GA5 - demonstrate values, knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the discipline and/or profession 

GA6 - solve problems in a variety of settings taking local and international perspectives into account

GA8 - locate, organise, analyse, synthesise and evaluate information 

GA9 - demonstrate effective communication in oral and written English language and visual media 

GA10 - utilise information and communication and other relevant technologies effectively.

Content

Topics will include: 

•  Theoretical and philosophical positions in health inquiry 
• positivist approach 
• critical approach 
• interpretive approach 
•  Research approaches in health related inquiry 
• qualitative research approaches 
• quantitative research approaches 
• mixed methods research approaches 
•  Relevance of theories, conceptual models/frameworks 
• health inquiry and practice 
•  Health inquiry approaches for practice improvement 
• quality improvement 
• clinical audit 
• evidence-based practice 
• research 
•  Reflective practice; critical thinking; decision making and health inquiry  
•  Ethics in health inquiry activities in the person-centred care environment 
•  Analysing clinical issues/problems related to quality and safety 
• formulating health inquiry questions 
•  Data base searching – use of information and communication technology 
•  Critical reading, analysis and synthesis of relevant literature 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Teaching and learning strategies utilised in this unit will support students in meeting the aim and achieving the learning outcomes relevant to this unit as well as to the broader course learning outcomes.

Multi-mode 

This unit is delivered in multi-mode. A mixture of face-to-face and online activities are adopted to encourage a broad understanding of health research and to provide flexibility and inclusiveness for students. Student learning will be supported through incorporating a series of on-campus lectures, practical activities and online learning. Lectures are conducted in conjunction with workshops which will reinforce foundational concepts through practical activities and interactive learning, and facilitate peer networks to support a collaborative approach to learning. Students will be allocated into groups in workshops to encourage collaborative learning and critical inquiry, which will promote appreciation of the values, knowledge, input and experience their peers bring. There will be an online site that provides a central depository for all learning related materials for the unit, and access to other resources that will extend students’ learning opportunities. 

Online mode 

This unit is delivered in a fully online mode and uses a student-centred approach. Various learning approaches are adopted to encourage a broad understanding of health research and to provide flexibility and inclusiveness for students. Learning approaches include study guides, e-modules, discussion forums/peer reviews, and webinars. Student learning will be supported through online learning e-modules, which include discussions of key concepts, guided readings, and relevant and practical/reflective activities. Discussion forums and peer review processes are designed to reinforce foundation concepts through interactive learning, and facilitate peer networks to support a collaborative approach to learning. Students will be allocated into online groups to encourage collaborative learning and critical inquiry, which will promote appreciation of the values, knowledge, input and experience their peers bring. Online webinars will be provided as a platform for students to receive information and clarify their enquiries in relation to this unit. The recorded webinars will be available on LEO to support students.   

Assessment strategy and rationale

In order to pass the unit, students are required to complete and submit all three assessment tasks. To pass the unit, students must achieve a cumulative mark of at least 50% across all assessment tasks. Assessment items are aligned with learning outcomes and weekly content to ensure that students demonstrate their achievement of each learning outcome. The successful study of interpreting health research requires incremental learning. This unit is designed to reflect this, and hence mastery of early concepts will be necessary to understand later concepts. 

Multi-mode 

The first assessment task is a quiz which is designed to assess comprehension of philosophies of research approaches and applications in a health context. For the second assessment task, students are asked to collaborate with peers in a seminar presentation that reflects on students’ practice and identifies a practice problem/issue related to quality and safety of care, formulate a related health inquiry question, and provide an overview of their health/research inquiry proposal. Annotated bibliography and evaluative summary form the final assessment task of this unit, which assess students’ high-level learning and essential knowledge and skills of health enquiry. Students are required to develop skills in the use of information and communication technology to effectively conduct literature searches, and to demonstrate critical reading, analysis and synthesis of relevant literature.  

Online mode 

The first assessment task is a quiz which is designed to assess comprehension of philosophies of research approaches and applications in a health context. For the second assessment task, students are asked to identify a healthcare practice problem/issue of professional relevance, conduct a literature search, and collaborate with peers in an online discussion forum and peer review process to reflect on their practice problem/issue. In the third assessment task, students are required to draw from their work in Assessment tasks 1 and 2, to develop a preliminary research proposal for a project or research study to address the identified clinical problem/issue. Students are required to develop skills in the use of information and communication technology to effectively conduct literature searches, and to demonstrate critical reading, analysis and synthesis of relevant literature.

Overview of assessments

Multi-mode ;

Online mode 

Representative texts and references

Recommended References 

Booth, A., Papaioannou, D., & Sutton, A.  (2016). Systematic approaches to a successful literature review (2nd ed.). London: Sage. 

Bruce, N., Stanistreet, D. & Pope, D. (2018). Quantitative methods for health research: a practical interactive guide to epidemiology and statistics. New Jersey: Wiley. [e-book] 

Galvan, J. L., & Galvan, M. C. (2017). Writing literature reviews: A guide for students of the social and behavioral sciences. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com [e-book] 

Greenhalgh, T., Warland, J., Lambros, A., Crisp, E. & Bidewell, J. (2017). Understanding research methods for evidence-based practice in health (1st ed.). John Wiley & Sons. [e-book] 

Hoffmann, T., Bennett, S., & Del Mar, C. (Eds.). (2017). Evidence-based practice across the health professions (3rd  ed.). Sydney: Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier. [e-book] 

Jacobson, K. H. (2016). Introduction to health research methods (2nd ed.). Burlington: John Bartlett. [e-book]  

Leedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E.  (2015). Practical research: Planning and design, Global Edition (10th  ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. [e-book] 

Liamputtong. P. (Ed.). (2017).  Research methods in health: Foundations for evidence-based practice (3rd ed.). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. [e-book] 

National Health and Medical Research Council, Australian Research Council, & Universities Australia.  (2007, updated 2018).  National statement on ethical conduct in human research. Canberra, ACT: Australian Government. Retrieved from NH&MRC website: https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/national-statement-ethical-conduct-human-research-2007-updated-2018 

Richardson-Tench, M., Taylor, B., Kermode, S., & Roberts, K.  (2014). Research in nursing: Evidence for best practice (5th  ed.). South Melbourne, Vic.: Cengage Learning. 

Tolley, E. E., Ulin, P. R., Mack, N., Robinson, E. T., & Succop, S. M. (2016). Qualitative methods in public health : A field guide for applied research. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com [e-book]